WO2000001889A1

WO2000001889A1 - Intersection with unhindered traffic flow

Info

Publication number: WO2000001889A1
Application number: PCT/HR1999/000010
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marko Jakara
Original assignee: Marko Jakara
Priority date: 1998-07-01
Filing date: 1999-05-04
Publication date: 2000-01-13
Also published as: HRPK980256B1; AU3723599A; HRP980256A2

Abstract

The two level intersection which ensures continuous flow of traffic without traffic-jams and with absolute safety for all users. Compared to the former intersections this one has several improvements: a) the increase of safety in traffic through the diminished number of traffic accidents, b) the increase of the average speed of motor vehicles, trams as well as pedestrians, c) the reduction of environmental pollution and a more efficient use of vehicles due to lower fuel consumption, d) reduced construction expenditures when building a new intersection or refurbishing an existing one because traffic lights and pedestrian crossings are rendered unnecessary, e) the possibility of construction also in relatively cramped urban locations, f) the elimination of problems with underground sewer installations because the semi-lowered level A3 is approximately 2,5 m below ground level, g) ensuring absolute safety for drivers, pedestrians and motor vehicles by building barriers of adequate shape, size and solidity.

Description

INTERSECTION WITH UNHINDERED TRAFFIC FLOW

1 . THE AREAS TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES

G 08 G Traffic monitoring systems

G 08 G 1/00 Traffic monitoring systems for road vehicles

G 08 G 1 /16 Anti-crash systems

E 01 F 9/00 The placement of traffic signs or traffic signals

E 01 F 15/00 Safety systems for the deceleration, redirection or stopping of wayward vehicles, i e safety columns. Damage reduction devices to protect the road margin structure from possible damage caused by the impact of a vehicle.

E 01 C 1/00 The design of highways, i e. for noise reduction, exhaust gas absorption.

E 01 C 1/04 intersection of highways on different levels Interconnection of highways on different levels

2. THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM

In all cities, especially major ones, there are considerable problems with traffic congestion and safety

3. THE CURRENT STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY

To the best of my knov/ledge the problem of achieving smooth traffic movement on two levels, of enabling a continuos flow of traffic without traffic-jams whilst ensuring the safety of every user without the use of traffic lights or pedestrian crossings on intersections, has not been resolved anywhere in the world 4 AN OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION

The essence of the invention which ensures absolute safety for all users, for pedestrians as well as for drivers, is that the lines of movement of vehicles, trams and pedestrians do not touch or cross while on the same level All participants in traffic have full liberty of movement so that pedestrians do not have to be attentive to vehicles or vice versa It is especially important to the blind and other disabled persons who have particular difficulties in navigating intersections either as pedestrians or as users of wheel-chairs

δ A DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

Illustration 1 shows the ground-plan of the intersection envisaged by the invention

Illustration 2 shows the ground-plan of the intersection with designated sections A-A and B-B

Illustration 3a shows the intersection in section A-A

Illustration 3b shows the intersection in section B-B

Illustration 4 shows short passages for pedestrians and commercial area in the pedestrian underpass on the lowest level of the intersection (level A4)

Illustration 5 shows a spatial conception of part of the intersection with an emphasis on the tram stops and lines and their relation

(1 ) shows a street with three lanes in one direction The number of lanes depends on the needs, which are changing and almost all the time growing, and on the road space available which, most frequently, lags behind needs Particular attention should be paid to the slope of the roadway because the safe flow of traffic depends on it greatly On roads such as these, the speed of vehicles should be as far as possible constant (in which case it is adjusted without excessive use of the pedals or unnecessary braking) The right lane is for the use of vehicles moving at lower speeds, the middle lane is used for vehicles travelling at normal speed and the overtaking of vehicles on the right lane, while the left one serves only for overtaking In the left lane the hindmost vehicle has the right of way, the driver of which before overtaking, has to make sure that he will not impede other road users or be impeded himself If, for any reason, two lanes become congested, there is always the third one for the use of the emergency services, to facilitate access to the scene of any accident

(2) shows the section of tne road meant for tram traffic The placing of tram lines between lanes ensures that tram traffic moves unimpeded by, and independent of, motor vehicle traffic The position of tram stops in the middle of the intersection minimizes inconvenience to pedestrians and tram users

(3) is a pedestrian footpath through a green space Where the footpath runs beside the roadway, the separation is achieved by a safety balustrade (13)

(4) is a waiting area at tram stops

(5) is an entrance to the pedestrian underpass which could be realized with fixed of moving stairs and/or gentle ramp for wheel-chairs and prams

(6) is a pedestrian underpass which would be illuminated sufficiently by shop window lights and neon signs

(7) is an elevated landing on tram stop It is raised to the level of the tram floor, thus ensuring easy access for disabled persons in wheel-chairs as well as other passengers with difficulties in moving (8) is a platform which facilitates the transition from one tram to another going in the opposite direction without having to descend to level A3 As traffic lanes on levels A1 and A3 are of standard height, the platform of level A2 is in nobody's way, and is of great assistance to pedestrians on account of the shortened journey

(9) is a covered area above part of the tram stop and the stairs (10)

(10) is a staircase which links levels A1 and A3, it could be realized with fixed or moving stairs, or combined with an elevator

(1 1 ) is a staircase connecting the tram stop (level A3) with the pedestrian underpass (level A4), could be constructed with fixed or movable stairs and combined with an elevator

(12) is a business area in the pedestrian underpass

(13) is a safety barrier similar to the present ones but with some new features absent from the existing models New features are

a) by using an appropriate form (angle, radius, height) and proper degree of solidity, to ensure that in the event of car wheels hitting the barrier there be no damage neither to the vehicle nor to the barrier b) complete safety of all participants in traffic, primarily pedestrians, who find themselves on the other side of the barrier c) building a channel at the base of the barrier to remove precipitation from the road surface because a layer of water on it due to aquaplanemg or a layer of ice reduces the stability of a vehicle considerably and as such poses a risk to traffic safety in general

Drawings show the intersection in two levels The roadway (1 ), intended for motor vehicle traffic may have one or more lanes in one direction Tram lines (2) can be in the middle of the highway (this variant is shown on the illustration) or on its side

In the drawings is a variant of semi-submerged (semi-lowered) intersection, a characteristic of whicn is that pedestrians, in most cases, move at the level of the surrounding ground (level A2 on picture 3b) More rarely pedestrians go up the stairs (10) to the level A1 or go down (by stairs or the ramp) to level A3 and/or A4 The difference of height between the individual levels (A1 and A2, A2 and A3) equals the half of the obligatory height between the levels of driveways on which motor vehicles go This height, according to the traffic road norms, is between 4,5 and 5 metres

In the variant shown in the drawings, the tram stop is situated in the middle of the intersection The innovation, in relation to solutions known up to the present, are short stretches of pedestrian underpass (6), as shown in picture 4, which do not adjoin the motor vehicles lanes When a pedestrian has to go over to the tram from the opposite direction, he does not have to cross the rails and is exposed to no danger, because he uses the pedestrian underpass (6), or the platform (8)

The safety barriers made of reinforced concrete (13), apart from safety, also shelter pedestrians from roadside spray

In the shown variant of the intersection the pedestrian underpass (6) (level A4 on picture 3b), which serves as a short diagonal passageway in all directions, is necessary The access to this level is possible by stairs and/or ramps and stairs (1 1 ) The business area in the pedestrian underpass (12), between the diagonal passageways, may be equipped with shops and/or some other features if technical and financial parameters allow, the construction of moving stairs and/or an elevator is possible

6 A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE MEANS OF REALIZING OF THE INVENTION

An intersection such as this one improves the present two-level intersections in several ways a) traffic safety is augmented through the reduction in the number of traffic accidents, b) by solving the problem of congestion, the average speed of motor vehicles and trams increases, c) by cutting down fuel consumption and by better combustion due to the average speed increase o^f motor vehicles, the environmental pollution would be lessened and better utilization of the vehicle would be achieved, d) the construction of a new intersection or the refurbishment of an existing one would be cheaper than standard solutions because as envisaged by the invention, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings on the intersection would be unnecessary The construction of this type of intersection on two levels can also be envisaged for urban locations where space is at a premium with a possible reduction in the number of lanes caused by the dimensions of the space available Semi-lowered (submerged) level (A3 on picture 3b) would not impede underground sewage installations because it is cca 2,5 m below the ground level Semi-raised level (A1 on picture 3b) does not mar the visual perspective of the surroundings for it is cca 2,5 m above ground level

Unlike present intersections these enable unhindered and independent movement of pedestrians motor vehicles and trams, practically eliminating the possibility of an accident among different users

In most cases pedestrians move at ground level while in fewer cases this movement is continued at height or at depth of approximately 2,5 m In any event, the absolute safety of pedestrians is guaranteed because at no time are they in contact with motor vehicles indirectly, this also increases the safety of motor vehicles because drivers do not have to be on the alert for pedestrians

One-way or two-way highways with 3 lanes in one direction have all the principal elements and preconditions for a safe, pleasant and swift ride (up to the speed limit) Such roads congruent to the invention, have the following characteristics which increase the safety of traffic a) traffic lights at intersections are unnecessary, b) pedestrian crossings are superfluous too, because at no point do pedestrians have to cross the highway or tram lines, c) individual participants in traffic need to pay attention only to the participants of the same kind (pedestrians to pedestrians, drivers to drivers )

An intersection following the pioposed model dispenses with several impediments to good traffic flow These are

1 traffic lights,

2 zebra-crossings,

3 inconvenient junctions and turns Present intersections allow motor vehicle traffic to move at an average speed of 30 to 50 km per hour and they do not provide a sufficient level of safety for all users By constructing the intersection according to the invention traffic can flow more smoothly, and absolute safety for all road users is safeguarded, even with the speed limit of 100 km per hour

The development of the automobile industry means that automobile factories will never again produce cars with a top speed below 100 km per hour The maximum speed of recently produced automobiles ranges between 150 and 300 km per hour As the optimum speed is cca 2/3 of the maximum speed (the efficiency of the internal combustion engines is then at its highest), it follows that these vehicles are in dire need of corresponding roads At optimum speed, fuel consumption in proportion to the distance covered is lowest and the combustion of fuel is optimal, which is not of negligible importance

Under the "vehicle's utilization level" many parameters could be taken into account In this case, let us apply this term to the distance covered during one hour of continuous ride divided with the speed limit on that road The vehicle utility level would be 100% when, after an hour of steady drive, the distinction of figures indicated on the dial equalled the speed limit allowed Previous solutions to traffic management typically result in poor usability of the vehicle, roughly about 30% With an intersection along the lines of the invention and because of the average speed increase, the usability of the vehicle would considerably increase

In addition, the increase of average speed would lead to shorter journey times for the same distance covered Furthermore, there would be a significant general reduction in the psychophysical exertion demanded by daily or periodical trips

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

Intersecting the roads on two levels, characterized by the fact that it will enable and ensure a continuous flow of traffic without hold-ups and with a high degree of safety for all road users (motor vehicles, pedestrians, trams ) The intersection proposed by the claim no 1 , characterized by the fact that it will enable and safeguard the increase of average speed of all participants in traffic (motor vehicles, trams, pedestrians ) The intersection proposed in claims 1 and 2, characterized by the fact that, because of an increase of average speed of motor vehicles, fuel consumption is reduced The intersection proposed in claims 1 and 2, characterized by the fact that by approaching the optimum operating point of the internal combustion engine and due to an increase m average speeds, environmental pollution will diminish The intersection proposed in claim , characterized by the fact that if will render traffic lights unnecessary The intersection proposed in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that if will render zebra-crossings reαundant The intei section proposed in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the safety barrier on the roao'ay through a suitable form (inclination, radius, height) and propei degree o; solidity', will ensure that neither vehicles nor the barrier are damaged in the eventuality that one or more wheels come into contact with the safety barrier The intersection proposed in claim no 7, characterized by the fact that it will provide absolute safety to drivers, motor vehicles and also to pedestrians and wheel-chair users wno find themselves on the other side of the barrier The intersection proposed in claim 1 is characterized by the fact that the construction of the road on the semi-lowered level A3 does not interfere with underground sewer installations